The Y Files REVAMPED
by the real jinxauthor
Summary: Dr. Jekyll isn't too happy to find himself in Retras Castle, confronted by none other than the vampire Dracula. And he isn't the only one. Mad scientist, wolf man, and others unite under one roof, and all begin to ask questions. Who brought these legendary monsters together? And for what nefarious purpose?
1. Introductions

Chapter One – Introductions

Of course it was a dark and stormy fucking night. That's how these things always go, isn't it? One can never travel to an unknown destination in a stolen car on a sunny spring day. No, it had to be in the midst of the chill autumn, in the dead of night, on treacherous roads in the pouring rain.

The path twisted through the mountains at sharp turns that loomed suddenly out of the dark. At times he had to slow to a crawl because of the narrowness of the road. On his left the flashy sports car of unknown ownership hugged the rocky mountain wall, while the right side was bordered by nothing but a long drop to the forests below.

Henry Jekyll gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling every beat of his heart as it pounded against his ribs. But he was not scared. He was angry.

He looked out the window separating him from the harsh outdoors and shook with impotent rage. He could not lose his temper here. Not on this road in a foreign country. He took a deep breath and clutched the steering wheel even tighter.

The travel conditions were bad, but they were not the true cause of Jekyll's fury. His foul mood had begun hours earlier, when he awoke to find himself behind the wheel of a vehicle he did not recognize, in a town where no one spoke his language, and no memory of how he'd gotten there.

After many years' experience dealing with similar incidents, Jekyll was quite accustomed to the situation. He had made a quick search of his pockets, driving his hands roughly into the tight space of a pair of pants much too small for him, and retrieved a worn and battered scrap of paper. It was this little slip of instruction that turned his annoyance into full-blown outrage. Truthfully there was not much on it – just his name and the short order "go to Retras Castle," followed by a crude map.

He should not have obeyed. He should have abandoned the car and made his way to the first British consulate he could find, then settled himself back home where he belonged. And yet as reasonable as this plan seemed to him, he knew it would never work. That other being who dwelled within his subconscious mind would surely sense his intent, and quickly take over once again. That foe, Jekyll's own alter-ego, clearly had some reason for going so far out of both of their comfort zones, but Jekyll was not sure he wanted to know what that reason was.

Still, he travelled on, against his better judgment, and grew more irritated with each minute that passed. The map was next to useless. It could have been drawn by a child's hand. Busy as he was trying to decipher the twisting lines while navigating the dark road, Jekyll nearly missed his turn.

The road wasn't much of a road at all. It was more of a muddy footpath, uneven and seldom used. The low sports car wasn't built for such travel. It bumped along the path accompanied by sickening scraping sounds as undercarriage met rock. The headlights barely penetrated the darkness. The trees looming up on either side of the car were tall, seeming to lean over the road. At times the branches created a canopy that hid even the light of the stars from view. Jekyll was beginning to wonder if he'd taken a wrong turn after all when the road turned again and the trees abruptly fell back. He had come to a massive clearing, and in the center sat the very castle Jekyll was seeking.

The castle itself was nearly swallowed in shadow. But for a few lights shining from its small medieval windows, it would have been indistinguishable from the forests and high mountain crags that created its picturesque backdrop.

"Picturesque?"thought Jekyll suddenly, "yeah, if it's a picture in a horror film."

Jekyll pulled his car as close to the castle as he dared. There were no other vehicles present, and there was no driveway to speak of. He parked in the grass, but he didn't shut off the car. He remained in the driver's seat, inspecting the old house in front of him through the windshield.

It really must have been an ancient place. The architecture, from the small windows to the battlements along its stone walls, was indicative of the middle ages. The face of it was covered in dark green ivy that appeared black in the night. Only part of the building seemed habitable, for the western wing had completely fallen to ruin. Indeed, Jekyll wouldn't have believed anyone was present in the ominous castle if it weren't for the lights shining out of the first floor rooms.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Jekyll finally shut off the car and stepped outside. The rain was refusing to subside, and Jekyll hurried to the large wooden double doors of the castle. He huddled under the archway as he knocked on the door, partially hoping no one would answer so he could go home, and partly wishing to be allowed inside and out of the elements.

The wait was so long that he had begun to think his prayers were partially answered, and that no one was home. He was just deciding whether he should just walk away, or if he had better knock again, when the door swung open.

Jekyll knew himself to be a rather tall man, and so by comparison, he thought the man who answered the door to be exceedingly tall. Indeed, he stared down at Jekyll with small, piercing dark eyes. His thick, black eyebrows drew together as he frowned at this stranger on his doorstep. There was a coldness emanating from the man that would have intimidated Jekyll immensely, had he not already been shivering with cold and anger.

"What do you want?" the man asked unkindly. He didn't seem like a man expecting guests, a fact which Jekyll ignored in his relief to hear English, even if it was colored with an Eastern European accent.

"An explanation and some clothes that fit properly, if you don't mind," Jekyll said as he pushed his way past the man. Now that he had finally reached the destination set for him, he was unwilling to wait in the pouring rain while being asked impertinent questions.

The man hesitated, one pale hand resting on the still-open door. He seemed to be unsure of what course to take. Would he throw Jekyll back out in the cold, or listen to his complaints? Jekyll thought that it was with more than a little reluctance that the man closed the door.

"Clothes I may be able to help you with," he said in his heavily accented but perfect English. "But as for an explanation," he added, "I think I am more entitled to that than you."

Jekyll held his driving instructions out for the man's inspection. "Retras Castle. This is the place isn't it?"

The man looked at the paper in Jekyll's hand before shaking his head slowly. Apparently the scribbled note was as incomprehensible to him as it was to Jekyll.

"This is indeed Retras Castle, but I still don't understand why you would come here."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Jekyll grumbled. "You don't know him, then? Never sent for him?"

"Who?"

"Never mind, never mind." Jekyll crumpled the letter in his hand and tried, unsuccessfully, to stuff it back in his pocket. His pants really were uncomfortably tight and not at all his style. "About these clothes… Well, you and I appear to be about the same size. Do you think I might borrow something off of you? I would be willing to compensate you, of course…"

"In a moment," the man said, brushing away Jekyll's request with a small gesture, "Tell me your name."

"Nigel Pembrook." The alias rolled over his tongue effortlessly. Years of using false names and dodging questions had made Jekyll a very convincing liar. "And you, sir?"

Unlike Jekyll, the man hesitated noticeably before answering. He seemed slightly unsure of what to say, until he shrugged and responded, "Vlad Dracula" with feigned indifference.

Jekyll laughed at the joke, "Oh, that's a good one! And you could almost pass for it too."

"Almost?" asked the man with a faint smile, "Tell me, where do I fall short?"

"Oh, I could easily take you for a vampire," Jekyll said, still chuckling, "After all, you live in this secluded castle, alone apparently. And with your accent and appearance…"

"My appearance?"

"Oh, you know. Black hair with the pronounced widow's peak, dark eyes, pale skin… Why, even your ears are slightly pointed! And your teeth…"

Jekyll stopped mid-sentence, for he had just noticed how unusual the man's teeth really were. Although his lips were closed in a small smile, his upper canines protruded slightly over the lower lip. Jekyll continued to observe, horror-struck, as the man's grin widened, revealing the full extent of his long, sharp fangs.

"Oh…" Jekyll said softly as the man drew closer towards him, "… Shit."

A short burst of loud, rapid knocks interrupted what would surely have been the end of Jekyll's life. The vampire, or so it appeared he truly was, halted his advance and turned his head in the direction of the front door. His eyes remained fixed on Jekyll, narrowed in suspicion. Jekyll merely stared at him blankly, wondering what the hell his alter-ego had gotten him into.

Breaking his gaze from Jekyll, the vampire once again opened the door to his castle to greet an unknown and uninvited guest. And somewhat like Jekyll, this newcomer wasted no time in bustling right inside.

"Dreadful weather, isn't it?" The man said loudly as he handed a dripping overcoat to the vampire. "Nearly drove right off a cliff half a dozen times, right sweetheart?"

He was speaking to a second figure who had just stepped through the door. She was a beautiful young woman with wavy gold hair and blue eyes. She wore a long, cream-colored evening gown with only a light grey wrap around her shoulders to protect her from the storm. She said nothing in response to her companion's comment. She simply offered a shy smile to Jekyll and the vampire before lowering her gaze modestly, as if apologizing for her friend's abrupt entrance.

The vampire, meanwhile, was staring at the coat in his hands with open disgust. Jekyll watched as he suddenly hefted the coat above his shoulder and threw it violently through the still open front door. He was about to close it again when the blonde woman darted past him, collected the fallen garment from the wet, muddy ground, and dashed inside again. She made no comment, nor acknowledged the brief incident in any way. The vampire watched her with curiosity before slamming the door closed once again.

During this whole encounter, the newcomer had prattled on and on about his journey to the castle. He didn't pause in his rant in the slightest, and hardly seemed to care whether anyone was listening to him or not. Jekyll thought it amazing that he didn't even notice the fate of his coat, or his friend's mad dash to retrieve it for him. The heavy thud of the slamming door finally seemed to remind him of his audience, for his speech halted abruptly.

"Oh, I do apologize," the man said to Jekyll with a smile. Like the vampire, he also spoke English with a pronounced European accent, though his was more difficult to place. Like his female companion, he was dressed in evening attire and his short blond hair was perfectly coiffured. He extended a hand to Jekyll, "You must be our mysterious host?"

Rather than accept the handshake, Jekyll pointed lamely in the direction of what he presumed was an honest-to-goodness vampire, "Um, no. That would be him, I think."

"Sorry?" the stranger said, turning to face the irritated castle-owner. "Oh! My apologies. Then I take it you must be…?"

"Like I already told him," the vampire interrupted, indicating Jekyll with a jerk of his head, "I didn't send for you. I never sent for anyone. Now would someone kindly tell me what the hell you all are doing in my house?"

"I received an invitation."

"Not from me."

"No, you've made that abundantly clear," the blond man said, sounding more than a little miffed.

"And who could blame him?" thought Jekyll silently to himself. "He just made the same trip I did, and apparently for no reason. Someone must have a real twisted sense of humor."

The blond stranger had drawn out a small card from the breast pocket of his dinner jacket. He handed this to the vampire for inspection. Jekyll watched the vampire's face as he read the contents of the message, acutely aware now of his pointed teeth. He marveled at how the newcomer seemed not to notice anything amiss, and wondered whether the vampire was seconds away from murdering them all.

But such a fate seemed unlikely for the time being. The vampire was too busy scowling at the card. "A dinner party?" he quoted from its writing.

"That's right. I was invited to attend a dinner party here. You can see for yourself, the location is quite clear. And I was under the impression that I would be meeting other enlightened minds, men of science like myself, to share the results of our personal research."

"And you believed it?" Jekyll said with a nervous laugh. "Who would hold such a party out in the middle of nowhere? In a dilapidated castle?"

Affronted, the man turned to Jekyll with a scowl, "You came too, didn't you?"

Jekyll returned his glare but remained silent. He saw no reason to divulge more information than he should, given the circumstances. Besides, who would believe that he had an alternate personality, one that took over completely and left him without any memory of what had happened after the fact?

"You do have a point though," he man continued, "This trip came at considerable expense to me. I would have normally ignored such a suspicious summons, especially given my circumstances. But the envelope caught my attention, and my curiosity got the better of me. And so here we are, wet, tired, and feeling increasingly uneasy."

The vampire was busy turning over the card in his hands. "Envelope? Why would the envelope catch your attention?"

"Because it was addressed to my real name," the man said with a wry smile, "A name I haven't used in years. I didn't think there was a person alive who knew to associate me with that name."

Jekyll opened his mouth, about to ask this man who he was, when his question was cut off by yet another knock on the door.

"For the love of…" the vampire muttered. He was glaring at the door but made no move to answer it. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Jekyll realized his mouth was still hanging open and snapped it shut just as another quiet knock sounded on the door.

"For crying out loud there's a bloody hurricane outside!" Jekyll nearly shouted into the silence. "If you're too afraid to answer it, I will!"

And so he did, moving to the door and grasping the handle before the vampire or the enigmatic stranger had a chance to stop him. Shivering and sopping wet on the doorstep stood a young man, his brown hair plastered flat against his head with rain. He was tall and broad shouldered, but even he seemed dwarfed by the size of the backpack he wore over his shoulders. The bag, as drenched as he was, must have been causing him some discomfort, as he fidgeted continuously under its weight.

"Good Lord, you didn't walk here, did you?" Jekyll asked, taking in his haggard appearance.

The boy grimaced, "Well, it's not really my idea of a good time, either. Are you going to invite me in, or do I have to stand in the rain?"

"To tell you the truth," Jekyll said, standing aside to let the boy through, "I don't think the climate is much better indoors than out."

Once the door was secured against the stormy night again, Jekyll turned to see the boy shivering uncontrollably, whether from cold or nerves from the stares he was drawing from the others, it was hard to tell. The vampire wasn't glaring at him so much as the growing puddle around his feet, and Jekyll suddenly decided that vampire or no, he wasn't scary so much as irritable – like a grumpy old man who just wants some kids to get off his lawn.

"Well," said the blond stranger, "You certainly don't look dressed for a dinner party."

"D-Dinner party?" the boy stammered through clattering teeth. He adjusted one of his backpack straps and looked even more uncomfortable. "N-No. I was t-told that I could find h-help here. That there would be doctors…"

"Doctors?" asked the blond man, flashing a brilliant white smile, "Why, you're in luck! I happen to be a doctor of sorts myself. What is it that ails you?"

The boy seemed incredulous at best. "H-Hold on," he said, shifting the weight of the backpack and settling it down on the ground. If it was at all possible, the vampire looked even more repulsed. Thankfully, the boy failed to notice. He began pawing through the contents of the backpack, feeling through to its very depths. Finally, he withdrew a folded piece of thick paper, which had remained miraculously dry.

"I-It says right h-here," he boy said just before suddenly shaking his head violently. Water droplets flew in all directions from his wet hair, provoking a curse from the vampire and yelps from the other two men. "S-Sorry," the boy said with a sniff, his hair no longer flat against his scalp, but curling limply. "But it's here in the note. It says I have… That I-I h-have…"

"Do you mind if I take a look?" asked the blond man, holding an open palm out to the boy. He was still smiling kindly, but there was something cold about his eyes as he looked at the note. Still shivering, the boy could only manage a curt nod as he handed the message over with a trembling hand. The stranger had only to glance at the letter before he spoke, "It's just as I thought. We've been had by the same individual. I received a note exactly like this; only mine was for a dinner party, while yours is for…" He paused, puzzling slightly over the word. "Lycanthropy?"

"As in werewolves? Ridiculous." Jekyll stated before remembering that they were all in the presence of a real-life vampire. Perhaps werewolves weren't such a far-fetched idea.

The boy's pale face reddened. "I-It isn't. I-I am…" He broke off abruptly. As if frustrated by his own stammering, he shivered again, his whole body shaking. When he finished, he stood slowly, seeming more composed and determined. "A few months ago, I wouldn't have believed it either. But I am a werewolf, and I came here because that note said I could find doctors who knew about this kind of stuff… That they would have a cure."

He stared at the stranger, the vampire, and Jekyll in turn, desperate expectation written clearly on his face. Jekyll was starting to feel guilty for dismissing him so quickly, but what was he supposed to do about it?

"I believe you when you say you're a werewolf," the blond man said thoughtfully, "After all, stranger things have happened." He glanced toward his female companion then, sharing a secretive smile with her. "But I'm afraid there's no one here with the information you're looking for. Someone seems to be playing a joke at our expense."

The boy's shoulders slumped. He looked completely crestfallen. "You mean there's really no hope for me?"

When no one answered him, the boy stooped down and hefted his large backpack onto his shoulders once again, a look of jaded determination once again returning to his face. "Then I'm leaving."

"Good," said the vampire suddenly, "Why don't the rest of you go with him?"

Jekyll chose this moment to speak. After all, the choices seemed to be speak up or be thrown back out into the storm. What's more, everyone currently inside Retras Castle appeared incredibly unstable. The least Jekyll could do, as a sane man, would be to descend into madness with the rest of them. Or so he thought as he said, "While we're on the subject of werewolves, I believe that man may be a vampire."

He inclined his head toward the castle owner with what he hoped was a casually respectful air. The man returned his polite gesture with a glare while the others turned to better observe him. A brief silence ensued, when suddenly the blond man burst out laughing.

"Is that so?" he asked, and Jekyll was shocked to hear a sort of glee in the man's voice. Yes, he was clearly of unstable mind. "Well, this is shaping up to be an interesting night, indeed. What do you call yourself, Mr. Vampire?"

"I already introduced myself to _him_," the vampire replied with a surly jerk of the head to indicate Jekyll, "He did not seem inclined to believe me."

"Wait, so you're really claiming to be Dracula?" Jekyll blurted before he could stop himself.

"Dracula?" the stranger echoed, and the werewolf boy froze by the door. He really had been prepared to leave, but his hand fell away from the knob as he slowly turned around to get a better look at the black-haired man.

"To be honest, I only told you who I was because I planned to kill you anyway. And I would have, if not for these two," he directed his glare toward the stranger and his silent companion. Jekyll was beginning to think a glare was just his default expression; he didn't seem to do much else. "Now I would be happy if all of you just left and never came back."

"Wait, _Dracula_?" the boy suddenly asked, drawing tentatively closer, "As in _the _Dracula? As in Gary Oldman versus Keanu Reeves?"

The stranger seemed thoughtful. "It does seem fitting. A werewolf and a vampire under one roof… And then there's myself."

"Yes, I've been wondering," Jekyll said, "Who exactly are you?"

The stranger gave him an enigmatic smile, "As I said before, I haven't gone by the name my parents gave me in quite a long time. But my real name and the name on my invitation is Victor Frankenstein."

Dracula burst out laughing, surprising Jekyll with evidence that he did, in fact, have more than one mode of expression. "Frankenstein! Frankenstein the fictional character! Frankenstein the dead man! Alive and in my house!"

Victor's smug smile dropped and he stared at the vampire coldly. The corner of his mouth twisted into a cruel smirk, "As I recall, Count, you also died at the end of the novel. A stake through the heart, wasn't it?"

The vampire's laughter died as suddenly as it came. "Not Count. I am neither a count nor a prince. Just Vlad, if you don't mind."

"Well then, _Vlad_, I think it's fair to say we all could do some explaining. For example, if I'm the mad scientist, you're the vampire, and he's the werewolf, I can't help but wonder who the hell _you_ are."

He was looking straight at Jekyll, who had really been dreading this moment. He did not relish exposing himself to this group. If they were telling the truth, then he was staring at a room full of legendary monsters, and if they were lying, then they were all mad. Jekyll wasn't sure which was worse. Then again, his own story was a bit hard to believe, wasn't it?

"My name is Henry Jekyll. I used to be a scientist," Jekyll said while he still had the courage (or recklessness) to do so.

It was then that a disembodied voice, as yet unheard by any in that group, suddenly stated, "And I'm the Invisible Man!"


	2. The Invisible Man

Chapter 2 – The Invisible Man

Jekyll added his shout of surprise to those of Frankenstein and the werewolf upon hearing the disembodied voice of yet another unexpected guest. Vlad was the only man who did not scream, though he did utter a marvelous string of foreign curse words that Jekyll was incapable of understanding. Oddly, it was only Frankenstein's fair companion who did not react in the slightest to the new voice. She simply moved closer to Frankenstein's side and gently grabbed the sleeve of his jacket between her delicate fingers.

Frankenstein took no notice of her. Like Vlad and the werewolf, his eyes were scanning the room to find the source of the voice they'd just heard.

"Where are you?" Vlad demanded, his gaze shifting from one darkened corner of the hall to the next. "Show yourself immediately!"

"Uh, right. Love to help you out and all, but that does rather miss the point of being _invisible_, doesn't it?"

Jekyll puzzled over the voice. The man, whoever and wherever he was, had a sing-song way of speaking that made his accent difficult to place. Jekyll suspected that he, like the wolf man, was from America, but it was hard to tell without seeing the man behind the voice.

While the others seemed to be preoccupying themselves with worry over where the voice originated from, Jekyll was more disturbed as to _when_? After all, their small party had been conversing for quite a long time before this newcomer joined in. Had he been watching since Jekyll's arrival? Or had he already been in the castle before anyone else, anxiously waiting for them all? Considering this option left Jekyll with goosebumps. There was something decidedly creepy about being observed without one's knowledge.

"When did you get here, stranger?" Frankenstein asked, getting right to the heart of Jekyll's own concerns.

"Oh no worries, I slipped in behind the wolf boy," the invisible man said. His tone of voice implied that he was very aware of just how unsettling his condition was to people. Jekyll thought he actually sounded rather pleased about it. "And let me tell you, that was_ not_ a pleasant walk. Speaking of, do you think we might move into another room? I think I smell a fire, and I would _really _appreciate warming up, if you catch my drift?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Vlad said. He had begun pacing the length of the hall slowly, his hands outstretched, searching for the source of the man's voice. Jekyll allowed himself a private smile, as he could tell from the rise and fall of the man's voice that he was moving around the room, casually avoiding such tactics.

"Well, think about it. Wolf Boy here just trekked the whole way in the rain with a big bulky coat and hiking boots - and he's still shivering! I made the same trip with considerably less protection…"

Vlad halted in mid-step, "When you say _less_…"

"I mean I'm just flaunting what God gave me, brother."

Vlad's hands immediately dropped to his sides and he let loose another string of curses, this time in English so Jekyll was able to fully appreciate the extent of the vampire's creativity.

"Unacceptable," he said once his litany of colorful language had ceased, "I won't allow it. It's disgusting."

"Huh? What's the big deal?!" the invisible man cried out in protest, "There's nothing more natural than being nude! It's not disgusting at all! And anyway, it's not like anyone can see me."

"It's the principle of the thing," Vlad said decisively, "I don't like the idea of a man walking around my castle naked. Visible or invisible."

Frankenstein seemed to have finally awakened to the presence of the female at his side. He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders and nodded in agreement. "I agree. In fact, the idea of you moving around like that _without being_ _noticed_ is even more of a concern."

"Gotta have a supply to meet the demand," said the invisible man. Jekyll detected a hint of amusement in his voice this time. "I travel light, ya get me? So unless Boy Wolf Wonder has an extra set of clothes he'd be willing to part with in that mountain of a backpack, I'd say we're all out of luck."

"Can't help you," the werewolf said with a frown, "Not unless you want to be as soaking wet as I am."

"S'all the same to me. I guess my bare butt will just have to remain as it is. Meanwhile, I think I spy a cozy looking armchair right by the fire in the next room, so if you gentlemen don't mind…"

"Wait!" Vlad demanded. Unable to look directly at the invisible man, his eyes were instead directed toward the nearest archway off the main hall. His frown deepened. He shut his eyes firmly and muttered something under his breath before heaving a great sigh. With eyes still closed, he said, "Please, I'll go get some extra clothes. Just… Don't sit anywhere. Will you all kindly wait in the den until I return?"

He managed to speak evenly, and even in a polite tone, but Jekyll could tell it with was with a great deal of reluctance that the words were spoken.

"There you go! Now you're acting like a proper host!" cried the invisible man.

Vlad's polite façade crumpled. It was quickly replaced by a sneer, "Don't push your luck. I still haven't decided if I'm going to kill you all or not. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Jekyll, feeling that there was safety in numbers, shouted at his retreating form, "While you're at it, a proper outfit for me as well?"

The vampire made a very rude gesture with his hand and continued walking. He didn't even bother to glance over his shoulder.

Jekyll ignored him. It was clear he couldn't expect any better behavior from Vlad. He turned to the werewolf boy instead and said, "You ought to have asked him for some clothes as well. You'll catch cold as you are now."

The boy shook his head, "I'll be fine. Besides, judging from that response, I doubt he's the sort of person you can rely on."

Jekyll chuckled, "Perhaps you're right."

Frankenstein and his lady friend had already moved through the open archway separating the hall from the den. Jekyll assumed the invisible man was with them, though of course it was impossible to tell. Gesturing for the wolfboy to go on ahead of him, Jekyll followed the others.

The vampire must have been occupying this room when Jeykll had arrived. A large fire was burning in a massive stone fireplace. An open book lay on a short wooden table right next to an armchair pulled close to the fireside. The rest of the room was furnished with a few antique sofas, their cushions sagging and faded, as well as several floor-to-ceiling shelves crammed with books. Once beautiful oriental carpets covered the hard stone floor, overlapping each other in several places. Where the walls were not covered in bookshelves, Jekyll spied a few small oil paintings, their images faded and dark.

Jekyll stepped carefully over some books that had apparently slipped off the shelves and made a new home on the floor. Some of their bindings looked very old. Overall, there was a careless elegance to the furnishings in this room. There had probably been a time when many of these items had been worth a fortune, yet now they lay under an inch of dust, completely forgotten by their moody owner. The fire made things warm and comfortable, but Jekyll was ill at ease. The room reminded him strongly of his apartment in the aftermath of one of Hyde's visits.

The werewolf marched straight to the fireplace and removed his sopping jacket. The t-shirt underneath was soaked through as well, and so this item was also removed. While he busied himself laying out the clothes on the stone hearth to dry, Jekyll couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He was itching to remove his own uncomfortably tight shirt, but one look at Frankenstein's female companion quickly steeled him against it. She still had not uttered a single word, but when she caught sight of the werewolf's bare skin, she blushed a deep shade of red and quickly lowered her head, her long blonde hair forming a veil over her face.

Jekyll felt instinctively protective of this woman. She seemed too innocent to be mixed up in a situation like this. He wondered what her connection to Dr. Frankenstein was, though he could hardly venture to ask. He just wished the wolf boy wouldn't make such a damn spectacle of himself.

The invisible man apparently had a different opinion of the matter. He smacked the werewolf's bare back with an audible clap. Jekyll could see the boy flinch under the force of the sudden blow.

"That's the spirit!" cried the disembodied voice, "Looks like I'm not the only nudist in the house!"

The wolf boy took a swing at the empty air, but he missed his mark. "You don't see me taking off my pants, do you?"

"Give it time. You'll come around. What's your name, anyway?"

The wolfboy settled himself on the hearth with his back to the fire, enjoying its heat after his long, cold walk. "It's William."

"William? I like it. You can call me Vinnie."

Jekyll gave a polite cough. "While we're on the subject of introductions…"

He stared pointedly in the direction of Frankenstein and his friend. The doctor stared back at him blankly for a moment before catching on.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "My God! I've been so rude! This is my wife, Beth. Forgive me for forgetting, sweetheart."

The woman, Beth, lifted her head and at once rewarded Frankenstein with a radiant smile.

"It's all right darling. It's a pleasure to meet all of you gentlemen."

Unwilling to meet William's eyes in his semi-nude state and unable to see Vinnie at all, she settled for addressing Jekyll alone as she spoke. Jekyll was appalled to feel heat rising in his face. For God's sake, he was over a century old! He wouldn't forgive himself for letting a pretty face make him bashful like some lascivious sixteen-year-old!

"The pleasure is ours, madam," Jekyll replied with as much English dignity as he could muster.

"Wait, you're married?" Vinnie asked, his tone incredulous. "How does that work?"

Frankenstein frowned, "Well, usually it follows an engagement period. Then two people are married by either a man of the cloth or a justice of the peace. A license is signed and afterward, the two are said to be wedded."

Jekyll was impressed by the amount of sarcasm the doctor was able to pour into his words, but Vinnie remained undaunted. "What I mean is, you're like, incredibly old, right? And c'mon. She's got to be… What? Twenty-two? Twenty-three? And she's okay with you being Frankenstein and all?"

"I've always known my Victor's true identity." Beth said at once. Jekyll was immediately in awe of her poise. "His age is of no importance to me. I love him as I will always love him."

Frankenstein beamed at her, clearly pleased with this response. Though when William chimed in with, "Okay, so how did you guys meet?" his expression clouded.

"Let's not discuss that at the moment, shall we?" he interrupted. "I'm more interested to know more about… Vinnie, was it? How did you come to be here?"

"Already told you that, didn't I? Walked up with Will. Slipped inside so that no one would notice me."

"No, that's not what I meant. You already heard that William and I were drawn here by an invitation. Is it safe to assume you were brought here by the same trick?"

"Uh… Not exactly. You see, I didn't get any invitation."

"None whatsoever?" Jekyll asked, thinking suddenly of the crumpled map he had found in his pocket. Why had Hyde sent him here, anyway?

"No. It was more of a brochure."

"Brochure?" asked Frankenstein, Jekyll, and William all in unison. Beth looked politely interested.

"Yeah, you know. One of those pamphlets you get sometimes, advertising tropical destinations or historical towns. Mine said, 'all expenses paid, one-night stay with Dracula!' Naturally, I couldn't resist. I mean, Dracula, right? How cool is that?"

A heavy silence fell over the room as each man was left without a clue as to how to respond to this asinine statement. Thankfully, they were saved from having to say anything by the reappearance of Vlad, who had caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Are you a complete idiot?" he asked with withering disdain. Jekyll assumed he was speaking to Vinnie, but without being able to direct his stare to any specific body, Vlad might as well have been addressing everyone in the room.

"Oh, I don't think so," Vinnie said cheerfully, "After all, so far I'm the only one who was given what was promised him. That's more than can be said for Will and Frankie, amiright?"

"You aren't staying," Vlad said with simple conviction. He dropped an outfit of clothes on the floor with complete carelessness. A moment later, the same clothes were lifted again by an invisible source, and the location of Vinnie was finally known. Jekyll thought there was something deeply disturbing about seeing the clothing filled out and resting as if on a body, but without a body present to fit the clothes. The cuffs of the long-sleeved shirt rolled themselves up, and the dark pants were given similar treatment. Apparently, Vinnie was a much smaller man than Vlad, though he offered no complaints about his new wardrobe.

Jekyll was thankfully distracted from observing the bizarre sight any further when Vlad shoved another wad of clothing into his chest. He was actually grateful to the vampire for heeding his request in spite of his obvious displeasure, but he suspected that Vlad didn't want to make a spectacle of this seemingly kind gesture.

Still very much aware of Beth's presence, Jekyll silently excused himself to change clothes in the hall. His current outfit really was much too tight, and the material of the shirt was far too thin. It was a simple matter to tear open the front of the shirt, allowing the buttons to fly away wherever they pleased. Since Hyde was always so careless with Jekyll's things, it had become Jekyll's style to repay him in kind, destroying whatever it was Hyde left behind after his visits. Jekyll grimaced at the thought as he peeled of the pair skin-tight pants. Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing if these petty little acts had any effect on Hyde whatsoever. And unless Hyde was as annoyed by their situation as Jekyll was, there was no way Jekyll could have satisfaction.

He was at least in a slightly better mood now, dressed in the grey sweater and dark trousers provided by Vlad. The clothes were plain and comfortable, exactly to Jekyll's taste, and they fit him perfectly.

He was drawn out of his reverie by the sound of raised voices in the den. He could hear Vlad's voice clearly, bordering on a yell, "_Why what_?!"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you!" followed Frankenstein's voice, "It's _Y_!"

"Why is what?! You are not making any sense!"

"No! You aren't listening! I'm trying to tell you that it's just Y!"

"_What?!_"

Jekyll stepped into the room hesitatingly, moving quickly to the werewolf's side. He could easily pick out Vinnie's location now, of course, but he was still reluctant to be near a man whose face he couldn't see.

"What's going on?" he whispered to the boy.

William wrinkled his nose, either in thought or distaste; it was hard to tell, "I'm not sure, actually. All I asked was who would go to such lengths to pull this sort of hoax on us, and then Dr. Frankenstein said something about _why_?"

"Well, that is a good question. I'd also like to know for what purpose we were all brought here. I mean, do you honestly think this is just a joke?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But I don't think that's what Dr. Frankenstein meant."

Meanwhile, Frankenstein and Vlad were continuing their argument, both of them becoming very red in the face. Beth looked deeply concerned, though she seemed unable to find a way to intervene between the two men.

"I think I see where the miscommunication is here," Vinnie said suddenly. Jekyll watched as he – or rather the clothes that encased his invisible form – made his way toward the battling duo. "Sorry to interrupt, gents," he said, tapping each man on the arm, "But could I venture a guess as to what's going on? I'm pretty sure Frankie here is saying that the source of our troubles lies in Y. As in the letter, not the question. Making more sense now, Drac?"

The vampire turned on his heel and stalked over to the armchair, settling himself into it before stating, "My name is Vlad. Not _Drac_. And the letter Y? It still does not make any sense."

"Do try to keep up, Dracula," Frankenstein said in a droll tone, "Boy – Er, I mean, William. Was there a signature at the bottom of your invitation?"

William thought before responding, "There wasn't a name. There was just a letter…"

"The letter Y." Frankenstein concluded. William nodded his assent.

"It was the same for me. An invitation with no information about the host other than the letter Y. So, this Mister Y, whoever he may be, is no doubt the cause of all our worries. He probably sent Vinnie his brochure, and Dr. Jekyll…"

Frankenstein suddenly turned to Jekyll, confusion on his face, "Why exactly _did_ you come here?"

"He had a map," Vlad said, "Someone drew him a map and told him to come here."

"Who drew it for you, Doctor?" Frankenstein asked, an edge to his voice.

Jekyll hesitated a while before letting out a deep breath. He would have to talk about his alter-ego at some point, he supposed. Really, with this crowd it was surprising that they'd waited this long before prying into his past.

"Sorry, no invite from the mysterious Y. Edward… Well, _Hyde_ drew the map. He's always doing something stupid and inconvenient like this to me."

"But you don't know how he found out about this place? You don't know why he sent you here?"

"Well, no."

Dr. Frankenstein's next question was spoken more like a statement. "So he could have received something from Mr. Y and sent you to answer the summons?"

"I… I don't know. Maybe."

"Hyde is spelled with a Y, isn't it?" Vlad asked slowly, "Could he be responsible for all of this?"

Jekyll scoffed, "You spell Jekyll with a Y, too, but no one's accusing me of being the culprit."

"Are you?" asked William.

"Of course not! I don't know who Y is, and I don't know what any of us are doing here! I'm in the same boat as all of you!"

"Well, since we seem to be getting nowhere with this discussion, I have a great idea," Vlad said in a slow, droll tone, "Why don't you all get the hell out of my castle?"

"What a marvelous idea!" Jekyll snapped, "After all, we've all been so disappointed by this visit, haven't we? There really doesn't seem to be any reason to stay!"

Vlad nodded, "Exactly what I'm saying."

"Fine! Then I'll be going! Thanks for the clothes!"

Jekyll turned from the group and marched straight out the door. But Frankenstein was right behind him, Beth following his lead.

"Wait, doctor! Think about what you're doing! We have a real mystery on our hands, and I don't think we should just walk out on it!"

"What? And play right into the bastard's hands? I don't think so! Dracula is right when he says we should all just leave!"

"But what if we are here for some purpose! We shouldn't just walk out when we don't even know what's going on!"

"I really don't give a damn what's going on!" Jekyll shouted as he gripped the knob of the front door.

"But Y must have brought us here for more than just a joke! And if that's the case, what if he won't let us leave?"

"Don't be absurd!" Jekyll sneered, twisting the knob, "How's he going to stop us?"

"Doctor, I implore you, at least return to the den and get what we know sorted out with the others. Don't leave yet!"

"I'm not!" Jekyll shouted.

"You aren't?"

"No…" Jekyll turned to Frankenstein with a dark frown. Both of his hands were gripping the brass knob of the door so hard his knuckles had turned white. "I can't open the door."


End file.
